Israel

Chronology of Coverage

Mar. 3, 2015

Pres Obama and Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu attempt to downplay impression of their personal animosity even as they describe wildly divergent outlooks and strategies for dealing with nuclear-armed Iran; Netanyahu criticizes Obama's approach as naive at American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington in advance of address to joint meeting of Congress, while Obama calls Netanyahu an 'alarmist.' MORE

Mar. 3, 2015

Three Israelis and six Palestinians are indicted in connection with smuggling ring that provided unauthorized raw materials to Gaza; Israeli authorities say materials were intended to build military infrastructure for Hamas. MORE

Mar. 2, 2015

Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress has caused division among its Jewish members, leading to open distinction between support for Israel and allegiance to its politicians; so far, 30 Democrats say they will not attend speech, six of them Jewish; Speaker John A Boehner seems resolute in his decision to invite Netanyahu. MORE

Mar. 2, 2015

Sec of State John Kerry tries to defuse tensions between congressional Republicans, Obama administration and Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Netanyahu is welcome to speak to Congress; says circumstances of his visit, however, are 'odd, if not unique.' MORE

Mar. 2, 2015

Memo from Jerusalem; Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress is happening at tense time in run-up to Israel's elections and has sparked debate about possible benefits versus risk of hurting critical Israeli-American relations; Israelis are divided over whether he will save nation against Iranian nuclear threat or whether his Iran policy has failed. MORE

Feb. 27, 2015

Pres Obama's national security adviser Susan E Rice and American ambassador to United Nations Samantha Power will speak at American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington. MORE

Feb. 26, 2015

Tense White House meeting between national security adviser Susan E Rice and her Israeli counterpart Yossi Cohen underscores rift between Pres Obama and Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu over his pending speech to Congress on Iran nuclear talks; Rice characterizes Netyanhu's actions as 'destructive,' suggesting risk to long-term bipartisan support for Israel. MORE

Feb. 26, 2015

Israeli State Comptroller Joseph Haim issues damaging report showing Benjamin Netanyahu administration's shortcomings in dealing with growing housing crisis as prices of homes rise and construction lags; report may negatively affect Netanyahu's chances of winning third term in March election. MORE

Feb. 26, 2015

Nicholas Kristof Op-Ed column argues that Israeli settlements in the West Bank undermine nation's democracy, stain its image and impede peace process in the Middle East; argues that settlements are also deeply wrong in a moral sense, leading to displacement of Palestinians, xenophobia and continuing violence. MORE

Feb. 24, 2015

Manhattan jury finds Palestinian Authority and Palestinian Liberation Organization liable for their role in six terrorist attacks in Israel from 2002 to 2004, which killed and injured Americans; award of $218.5 million in damages is tripled under special terrorism law to $655.5 million, ending decade-long legal battle; Palestinian groups say they will appeal. MORE

Feb. 24, 2015

Leaked South African intelligence service documents include 2012 report by Israeli intelligence agency Mossad saying that Iran did not appear close to second stage of nuclear weapon production; report contradicts Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu, who had only three weeks earlier given dire speech at United Nations warning that Iran was only few months away from making nuclear bomb. MORE

Feb. 24, 2015

State-owned Israel Electric Corporation briefly reduces power to West Bank districts Nablus and Jenin in response to growing Palestinian debt, which is product of financial crisis caused by Israel's withholding of tax revenues after Palestinian Authority attempted to join International Criminal Court. MORE

Feb. 20, 2015

Memo From Israel; candidates in Israel's elections are turning to cheeky online videos in order to reshape their images, with Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu releasing several humorous videos; shift is indicative of thriving social media environment in the country. MORE

Feb. 19, 2015

Israel unveils collection of medieval gold coins discovered by divers near port city of Caesarea, largest such trove ever found in country. MORE

Feb. 19, 2015

Israeli Supreme Court's upholding of 2012 ruling that Israel bears no responsibility for death of Rachel Corrie, young woman run over by military bulldozer in Gaza in 2003, has drawn protests from family and from Human Rights Watch; Corrie was in Gaza to protest Israeli military actions there. MORE

Feb. 18, 2015

Assistants to Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu say they are not being informed of details as United States engages in talks with Iran over nuclear deal; US denies allegations. MORE

Feb. 18, 2015

Gaza Journal; growing number off young Palestinians from Gaza have been stopped trying to cross into Israel since 50-day battle in 2014; military officials see attempted crossings as signs of desperation and not terrorism. MORE

Feb. 18, 2015

Feb. 16, 2015

Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu calls for European Jews to move to Israel and announces $45 million government plan to encourage immigration from France, Belgium and Ukraine; critics call move, which comes in wake of attacks against Jews in Denmark and month before Israeli national elections, insensitive and timed for political advantage. MORE

Feb. 12, 2015

William Schabas, Canadian law professor who resigned as head of United Nations investigation into 2014 Gaza conflict, says his work was impeded by threats, pressure from Israel and investigation into his background and work he did for Palestinian Liberation Organization; Schabas says he was not prepared for vitriol directed at him. MORE

Feb. 11, 2015

Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu confirms for third time that he still plans to speak to joint meeting of Congress regarding his objections to Iran's nuclear program; Democrats have objected to circumstances surrounding visit by Netanyahu, to whom House Speaker John Boehner issued invitation without consulting Democrats or White House. MORE

Feb. 10, 2015

Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu posts accusations against leading newspaper Yediot Aharonot on his Facebook account, inserting himself into escalating battle between Yediot and upstart competitor Israel Hayom; action comes days after lawyers filed petition to ban Hayom from publishing during the election campaign, calling it a propaganda platform for Netanyahu. MORE

Feb. 10, 2015

Pres Obama, appearing at news conference, signals displeasure at Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled speech before Congress in March; Netanyahu vows to go forward with speech, in which he intends to call on lawmakers to take harder line against Iran, despite growing pressure; rift threatens to inject politics into relationship between two nations. MORE

Feb. 8, 2015

Dalia Shurrub, who lives in southern Gaza, is prohibited from seeing her fiance Rashed Sameer Faddah, who lives in West Bank, because of border restrictions; thousands of Palestinians are suffering from separation of two territories especially since Hamas took power in Gaza in 2007; exits through Israel are strictly controlled, limited only for humanitarian cases. MORE

Feb. 7, 2015

Samuel G Freedman On Religion column asserts that Israel's stiffening on issues pertaining to religious issues, including marriage and divorce, could alienate liberal-leaning American Jews, adding another dimension to strains between United States and Israel. MORE

Feb. 5, 2015

Iranian Pres Hassan Rouhani accuses United States, Israel and other nuclear-armed countries of hypocrisy, emphasizing that his country wants to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes; comments, delivered in strongly-worded speech aimed at domestic audience, comes as retort to Iranian hard-liners who have accused Rouhani of weakness in international relations. MORE

Feb. 5, 2015

United Nations says it will establish panel to investigate killing of Spanish peacekeeper during fight between Hezbollah militants and Israeli soldiers near Israel-Lebanon border. MORE

Feb. 5, 2015

Guerrilla organization the Group of Popular Rebels claims responsibility for December shooting at Israeli embassy in Athens. MORE

Feb. 4, 2015

United Nations Human Rights Council names Mary McGowan Davis, former justice of New York State Supreme Court, to serve on panel's inquiry into possible war crimes in Gaza in 2014. MORE

Feb. 4, 2015

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column warns that Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu's planned address to Congress about Iran at invitation of Speaker John Boehner could have disastrous consequences for Israeli-American relations; underscores how it is not in Israel's interest to be seen as influencing directly America's decisions about what to do with Iran, particularly if negotiations over its nuclear program fail. MORE

Feb. 3, 2015

William Schabas, chairman of United Nations panel investigating alleged war crimes in 2014 Gaza conflict, resigns from panel, citing accusations by Israel of personal bias. MORE

Feb. 3, 2015

Jordan announces it will send Amb Walid Obeidat back to Israel, three months after it recalled him over dispute about holy site in East Jerusalem; decision offers further evidence that tensions are easing between two countries and that continuing calm prevails at site. MORE

Feb. 1, 2015

Israeli forces fatally shoot one Palestinian and wound another as they were about to throw firebomb in West Bank. MORE

Jan. 31, 2015

News Analysis; experts on Israel fear that rift between Pres Obama and Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu, exacerbated by Netanyahu's decision to address Congress directly, represents unprecedented crisis in United States-Israel relations; neither leaders' administration has tried to defuse crisis, presenting possibility that two could be at odds for years if Netanyahu survives upcoming election, even as crucial negotiations over Iran's nuclear program continue. MORE

Jan. 31, 2015

Israel announces plans to build 450 new housing units in West Bank settlements prompting disapproval from Obama administration, European Union and critics within country. MORE

Jan. 30, 2015

Zarit Journal; tensions rise and fall in Lebanese border towns, as Israeli forces search for Hezbollah tunnels in region around Zarit, Israel; residents describe what they see as buildup for war on both sides and express fear and resignation about what lies ahead. MORE

Jan. 30, 2015

Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu has had little success as he seeks to reach out to Democratic lawmakers and ease rift after he did not seek White House invitation ahead of planned address to Congress; maneuver came at time of deep partisan divide over Iran's nuclear program, and may have cost Netanyahu support among Democrats. MORE

Jan. 29, 2015

Hezbollah retaliates for Israeli drone strike in Syria that killed six of its fighters, launching two antitank missiles along disputed Lebanese-Israeli border that kill two Israeli soldiers; latest cross-border attack is most deadly in the area since 2006, raising concerns of escalating conflict. MORE

Jan. 29, 2015

Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu's acceptance of House Speaker John A Boehner's invitation to address Congress has unintentionally helped Pres Obama rally Democrats to his cause on nuclear talks with Iran; 10 Democrats announce their support of delay on voting on Iran sanctions. MORE

Jan. 29, 2015

Senior Obama administration official says Ron Dermer, Israeli ambassador to United States who helped set up Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming address to Congress, has continually put political fortunes of the prime minister above Israeli-US relations; Netanyahu's visit is another deterioration in relationship between Pres Obama and Republicans. MORE

Jan. 28, 2015

Jan. 28, 2015

Israeli human rights group B'Tselem study finds attacks by Israel on homes in Gaza during 2014 war against Hamas that resulted in deaths of more than 600 Palestinians, most of them women, children and elderly, violated international law; study, first major one from an Israeli group, is released as International Criminal Court in The Hague begins inquiry into possible war crimes committed in Palestinian territories. MORE

Jan. 28, 2015

Jan. 27, 2015

Israeli military ends service of 43 reservists from clandestine Unit 8200 who had signed letter refusing on moral grounds to participate in 'actions against Palestinians'. MORE

Jan. 26, 2015

New documentary Censored Voices, about 1967 Middle East war, features archival footage interspersed with previously unseen interviews with Israeli soldiers who give accounts of brutal behavior toward their Arab adversaries; film debuts as International Criminal Court weighs investigation in latest Gaza conflict. MORE

Jan. 24, 2015

Arab political factions in Israel announce that they have formed single ticket for elections in March for first time, response to new electoral threshold of 3.25 percent that raised possibility small parties would be excluded from Parliament; announcement comes after weeks of intense negotiations. MORE

Jan. 24, 2015

Saturday Profile of Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, Israeli lawyer who has made career of suing nations, terrorist groups and organizations whose actions have harmed Israelis. MORE

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March 2, 2015, Monday

The division caused by the Israeli prime minister’s coming speech to Congress is keenly felt among the Jewish members of Congress — all but one of them Democratic — and seems to reflect the dismay of American Jews.